This week, Michael writes
that there are two things to remember in order to keep our theology (study of
God) in the right perspective. The first is that God is Sovereign
overall. Second, He's still in control. Third, God has a wonderful plan
for your life. He had a wonderful plan for His Son's life ... His plan for
Jesus' life was for our redemption. This plan included Jesus' righteous
innocent death in exchange for our sinful life.
The fourth thing is that God
is good. He's a good, heavenly Father. Even
though the sea billows roll, it is well, it is well with my soul. Despite
trials and tribulations of this world, count it all joy when you encounter
trials, for the testing of your faith will produce endurance and maturity in
Christ. Therefore, let tribulation have its perfect work. The Apostle Peter
needed to be tested to find out that in himself, he was not sufficient to serve
his Lord. Would God's plan for America be better if God blessed America or
would His plan be better if America realized her demise. Isaiah 55 says, “My ways are higher than your ways and my
thoughts than your thoughts”. As the Apostle Paul said, "my purpose whether life or death is for the
further progress of the gospel." Therefore, count it all joy to
endure suffering for the Lord.
The purpose of our lives is
the "great commission." Jesus commandment before his ascension,
"Go ye therefore and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them...and lo, I am with you always, even unto the
end of the age." Making disciples is the purpose and the calling of
the church, the called-out of God. Our Lord's question is, "Can I trust you with the gospel?"
Paul said, we have been given the gospel of salvation by grace alone through
faith alone in Christ alone. Salvation is the gift of God. The
gospel of the good news is that Jesus came to rescue and deliver those who are
perishing.
When the trial comes, Jesus
said, "I will see you through". He said, "My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Not as the world
gives give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid." Therefore in the words of Paul, "I press toward the mark of the upward calling of God in Christ
Jesus."
We are the church, the
called-out of God as His living epistles. We are God's love letters, written
not with ink or in tablets of stone, but engraved in the tables of our
heart. The word "confession" means to "speak the same
thing." The word “profession” means to walk the talk and talk the
walk. As men and women of God, our calling is to "practice what we
preach." We're the only sermon some people will ever see and hear.
Men and women of God place
themselves under authority and order ordained by God. Our loving Heavenly
Father will "break us from the world." Therefore, count it all joy when you fall into diverse
trials and temptations. For when tribulation has its perfect work you
shall be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Jesus said, blessed are they when men shall revile you
and persecute you for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven. Our
purpose and our calling is to make disciples of all men, women and children. We
are the plan. For we are God's
workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which he has prepared
beforehand for us to walk therein. For it is God who works in you to
will and to do of His good pleasure.
William Booth had trained
his troops in the Salvation Army for two years to teach and preach in India. At
their commencement he said, "It
would have been better to have shown them five minutes in hell." We
need to be shaken to confront the reality of impending death before we can
focus on the solution. To understand the solution we must first acknowledge, we
have a problem. The main thing as fellow laborers with Christ, is our great
commission ... to "snatch God's elect from the jaws of hell" by
sharing the gospel message of salvation with urgency. The gospel message
is that Jesus Christ is the solution to the problem of sin and death ... for he who was without sin was made the
perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of
God in him.
May we ever live to the
praise of the glory of his grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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